Eagles Off to Vegas for Bison Challenge

Mar 14, 2012

Eastern to face some old and some new competition in 54-hole event at Paiute Golf Resort

The Eastern Washington University women's golf team heads to Las Vegas, Nev., this weekend for the inaugural Bison Challenge at Paiute, hosted by Bucknell University. The Eagles will have a busy two days in the Sin City, as they play 36 holes on Friday (March 16) and another 18 on Saturday (March 17).

The event is held on the Snow Mountain Course at the Paiute Golf Resort, and will feature 18 total teams. Among the field are Big Sky members Weber State and Idaho State, and some other common opponents in Wyoming, Southern Utah, Utah Valley and North Dakota. But Eastern will see a few less familiar squads at this tournament, including San Francisco, Oral Roberts, Akron, Northern Iowa, Eastern Kentucky, Texas A&M C.C., Indiana State, Wofford, Western Illinois, Gustavus Adolphus, and host Bucknell.

The Eagles will be paired with Utah Valley and Western Illinois in the first day of competition.

Eastern has played in two tournaments thus far in the 2012 spring season, and a different player led the Eagles in each one. In its debut event in Industry Hills, Calif., junior Jayme Carbon recorded a 236 (79-76-81), which was the second-best 54-hole effort of her career. She finished 23rd out of 70 total golfers.

Two weeks ago at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz., freshman Caitilin Rice turned in the best 36-hole score on the squad, as she fired a 164 (81-83).

Eastern will again rely on strong performances by Carbon and Rice, while also looking for low scores from junior Morgan Lee and senior Neddy Martinez.

The Snow Mountain course at the Paiute Golf Resort is 7,164 yards in length, and boasts the best par 3s on the property. Weather in Las Vegas this weekend is expected to be in the upper 70s with mostly sunny skies. There is a chance of some wind and a few showers on Saturday.